Fisherman Rajesh Das along with his spouse Lakshmi earlier than he was detained by the Bangladesh Coast Guard. (HT Photograph)
All 95 fishermen from South 24 Parganas in West Bengal, who have been arrested by the Bangladesh Coast Guard in October and November this yr for straying into their territorial waters and are presently lodged in Bangladesh jails, are set to return house because the Bangladesh house ministry has withdrawn the circumstances lodged in opposition to them.
Das together with 30 different fishermen have been intercepted by the Bangladesh Coast Guard when two fishing trawlers strayed into Bangladesh waters on October 16. Two days afterward October 18, three extra trawlers with 48 fishermen on board have been intercepted. On November 21, one other trawler with 16 fishermen have been caught.
“I cannot describe in words how happy I am. My husband will be coming home soon. Without him, me and our three-year-old would have been in deep trouble. My parents were sending money to support the two of us all this while. But even their financial condition isn’t good. I am just waiting for him to return,” stated 23-year-old Rimpi Das, spouse of Kartick Das, one other fisherman.
The event comes amid rising tensions between India and Bangladesh and the continuing political unrest within the neighbouring nation.
Regardless that all 95 fishermen are anticipated to return house within the subsequent few days, one stays lacking until date. Gunamoni Das, 44, jumped into the waters to evade arrest. His members of the family couldn’t be contacted.
“Our 95 fishermen are lodged in two jails in Patuakhali and Bagerhat in Bangladesh. We were all worried about their fates. But we have learnt that the Bangladesh home ministry has issued an order withdrawing the cases against all of them. They are expected to return home sometime later this week. We are very happy,” stated Satinath Patra, secretary of the Sunderbans Samudrik Matshyajibi Shramik Union, an affiliation of fishermen in South 24-Parganas which was pursuing the case.
HT has seen a replica of the order issued by the Public Safety Division of the house ministry of the Bangladesh authorities on December 26.
On December 9, international secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka and held conferences with senior officers of the caretaker administration, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Per week later, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee instructed the media that she has requested the state’s chief secretary to make sure the discharge of the fishermen from Bangladesh jails.
“This has come as a new year’s gift. Our fishermen are coming back home. The chief minister had spoken with the Centre and also to the Bangladesh deputy high commissioner in Kolkata to secure their release. The state home secretary was in constant in touch with the centre on this issue,” Manturam Pakhira, TMC legislator from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas, stated.
In the meantime, 12 Bangladeshi fishermen lodged in a jail in South 24 Parganas in West Bengal have been launched on courtroom orders final week. They by chance entered Indian waters after their boat capsized and so they landed at Patharpratima in South 24 Parganas. They have been arrested below part 14 of the Foreigners Act 1946. They’d been in jail since September 15.
In keeping with knowledge positioned within the Parliament on November 29, greater than 500 Indian fishermen are lodged in jails of assorted nations. Out of this, 95 are in Bangladesh jails, round 141 are lodged in Sri Lankan prisons and 211 are in Pakistani jails. This aside, Indian fishermen are additionally lodged in jails in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.